The courtroom fight over criminal charges against Chicago Police Officer Stephan Shaw is over, at least for now. On Monday, a Cook County judge found the 33-year-old officer not guilty of sexually abusing a woman who was in a booking area after a 2023 shoplifting arrest, even as a separate federal civil lawsuit filed by the woman continues.
Judge Acquits Officer After Bench Trial
After a bench trial, the judge acquitted Shaw of multiple felony counts, including aggravated criminal sexual abuse, custodial sexual misconduct, aggravated battery and official misconduct, according to CBS Chicago. The verdict came down Monday in Cook County criminal court, ending the criminal case that put the officer’s conduct under a microscope.
Allegations And Timeline
Prosecutors alleged the encounter happened in May 2023, after the woman was arrested on a shoplifting charge. While she was handcuffed to a metal bar in a holding cell at the Near North District station, they said Shaw made sexually suggestive comments, groped her over her clothing, and put his hand inside her shorts. The woman later told her mother what she said had happened and then filed a complaint with the police, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
She has also filed a federal lawsuit that accuses Shaw of subjecting her “to a barrage of sexually explicit comments and propositions” and of repeatedly putting his hands down her pants, CBS Chicago reported. The suit seeks unspecified damages and remains pending in federal court, setting up a separate legal battle over the same set of allegations.
Officer's Department Status
Following Shaw’s arrest in April 2024, he was relieved of his police powers and ordered to surrender his firearms. The Chicago Police Department reassigned him to the alternate response section at the 1st District station, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. His attorney has denied the allegations, arguing that other officers were moving in and out of the processing room at the time.
What Comes Next
With the criminal case wrapped, the focus now shifts to the federal civil suit, which moves on independently of the not-guilty verdict. Any new court filings or internal departmental decisions could determine whether the case resurfaces in a different courtroom or plays out inside CPD’s disciplinary process, even after the judge’s acquittal.
